Driving mechanism for washing-machines



H. C. DOMAN.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY 2,19I7. I

Patented May-18, 1920.

AT TU RN/ZYE UNITED STATES PATENT orr cn.

HERMAN C. DOMAN, 0F OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, .BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 FRANK NOVOTNY AND JOSEPH KASTOI'IRYZ.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR. WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed July 2, 1917. Serial No. 178,174.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN C. DOMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Oshkosh, in the county of Oshkosh and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Washing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The invention relates to driving mechanisms and more particularly to a washing machine driving mechanism.

The invention is designed to provide a driving mechanism of simple and efficient construction for oscillating the pounder shaft in opposite directions while moving it up and down and consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the device embodying the invention, showing it applied to a washing machine. parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 4. represents the tub or receptacle of the washing ma- -hine, 5 the usual cover, 6 the pounder of any suitable construction, 7 the pounder shaft and 8 the bearing bracket for the pounder shaft mounted on the cover and to which the shaft actuating means, hereinafter described, is connected.

The pounder shaft 7 is provided with a helical guide groove 9 in which is partially seated a ball 10 which is mounted in a transverse threaded bore 11 in the bracket 8 and retained in the groove by a set screw 12 in threaded engagement with said bore. With this construction it will be observed that the position of the ball 10 is fixed with respect to the bracket so that when the shaft 7 is moved up and down, the ball being seated in the groove 9, will cause said shaft with its pounder to be partially turned in one direction on the downward movement of the shaft and to be partially turned in the opposite direction during the upward movement of the shaft.

Means are provided for moving the pounder shaft up and down consisting of an operating lever 13 provided with a handle 14 and connected to the pounder shaft 7 and to the bracket 8. The lever 13 is pivotally connected at one end to links 15 which are pivotally connected to an upwardly eX- tending arm 16 on the bracket 8. The lever 13 is pivotally connected intermediate its endsto the shaft 7 bymeans of pointed set screws 17 mounted in bifurcated portions 18 of the lever and engaging in recesses 19 in a sleeve 20 secured to the poundershaft 7 by a collar 21. A washer 22 is interposed between the sleeve 20 and the shoulder portion 23 of the pounder shaft 7 and serves as a stop to limit the downward movement of the shaft. This connection permits the pounder shaft 7 to turn with respect to the operating lever.

To facilitate the quick return movement of thepounder shaft I provide a pair of spaced apart springs 24 connected at one of their ends to knobs 25 carried by a shaft 26 pivotally mounted in the lever 13 and connected at their other ends to knobs 27 se cured to a rod 28 pivotally mounted in the arm 16 of the bracket. The springs are held in line with the knobs by means of rods 29 secured to the knobs 25 and projecting into bores 30 in the knobs 27.

With this construction when the operator presses down on the handle 14 and thereby moves the lever. 13 down against the pressure of the springs 24 the shaft 7 is moved down and turns as previously described, thus moving the pounder 6 down against clothes and partially rotating it and on the release of pressure upon the handle the shaft 7 moves upwardly moving the pounder upwardly and turning it in the opposite direction. The collar 22 acts as a stop to limit the. downward movement of the shaft and tho pounder itself acts as a stop to limit the upward movement of the shaft with respect to the bracket 8.

It will thus be seen that a very simple and eflicient mechanism has been provided for moving the pounder shaft to operate the pounder.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A washing machine comprising a centrally bored bearing member, a shaft journaled in said bore for an oscillating and reciprocating movement, a lever having one end pivotally connected with the washing machine and an operating handle formed on its other end, a sleeve member freely rotatably mounted on the upper end of said shaft, and trunnions connecting said sleeve member with said lever intermediate its ends to pivotally connect said lever and. shaft and at'the same time permit the free rotation of the shaft.

'2, A washing machine comprising a centrally bored bearing bracket, an arm carried thereby and directed upwardly and outwardly from the center of the bracket, a shaft journaled in theibore 0fthe bracket for an oscillating and reciprocating movement, a lever pivotally connected with the outer end of said arm and havingan opening therein intermediate its ends, a reduced portion formed on the upper end of said 7 said lever with said shaft, said collar memberforming a stop to liinit the downward limit of movement of said shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HER-MAN C. DOMAN. 

